


I Know When I’m Needed

by DownOnThePharm



Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: Angst, Brotp, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Rimmer can’t test, They really are friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-12
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-05-01 19:48:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19184449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DownOnThePharm/pseuds/DownOnThePharm
Summary: Grieving over yet another exam failure, Rimmer finds comfort from an unexpected source.We need more Rimmer and Cat BroTP fics.





	I Know When I’m Needed

**Author's Note:**

> RedDwarfIsALesbian posted an adorable drawing on Tumblr and in the RD Discord of Cat hugging Rimmer. I owe her for the inspiration.

Rimmer slumped dejectedly on a bench in his hidden corner of the Botanical Gardens, staring unseeing at the ground, a crumpled yellow computer printout dangling from his hand. He hadn’t even had to read it this time to know that it was yet another official notification of exam failure. He had received them often enough over the years. His simulated gut roiled, and he whimpered softly. A single holo-tear slid down his nose and dripped off the end, vanishing into nothingness with a tiny twinkle of light as it escaped the boundaries of his projection. 

“Hey, Non-Bud! What’s up?”

Startled, Rimmer reflexively leapt up from his seat, whirled around, and found himself clutching the Cat by his fabulous satin lapels. 

Hissing, Cat spat, “What did I do?” 

“Oh, it’s you,” Rimmer grumped as he released his hold on the felinoid. “Sorry about that. I’m a bit tetchy when people creep up on me. Ace instincts and all, you know.”

Indignantly straightening his jacket, Cat was about to fire a cutting yet witty retort back at the hologram when he noted Rimmer’s reddened eyes. Curious, he asked, “What’s with you, Goalpost Head? Why are you hiding out here?”

Rimmer sank back down onto his bench with a despairing sigh. “Why do you care? Looking for a laugh? A good joke to share with Lister?” Rimmer looked up at Cat and mimicked, “‘Hey, Bud! Guess who I found crying in the garden like a big nancy!’” 

“Well, I wasn’t, but now that you mention it...”

Angrily, Rimmer snapped, “Typical. You lot can’t ever let me be, can you? Bored? Let’s find Rimmer and mock him! Always the butt of jokes...” His voice trembling, Rimmer broke off and buried his face in his hands. 

Cat deftly plucked the notification printout from Rimmer’s grasp, tutting, “You’re gonna put your eye out or scratch your H with that if you aren’t careful. So, what is it?” Pulling an elegant pair of gold-rimmed reading glasses from his breast pocket, he donned them, smoothed the paper open, and began to read aloud, adding a bit of editorial flair. “‘Dear Trans-Am Wheel Arch Nostrils: The JMC Examination System regrets to inform you that you have failed to achieve a passing score’ - oh.” 

Rimmer shuddered, his body shaking with barely suppressed sobs. Cat silently watched him for a moment, an uncharacteristic softness in his eyes. Quietly, he sat beside the hologram and gently wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Bewildered by the contact, Rimmer glanced at Cat through his blur of tears and waited for the nasty punchline he was certain was coming. 

The punchline never came.

Cat shifted his position to face Rimmer, and, sliding his free hand around the back of his crewmate’s head, pulled him down into a warm embrace. Rimmer resisted briefly, but then sagged gratefully against Cat, weeping anew as he buried his face in the felinoid’s neck. Purring soothingly, Cat softly stroked Rimmer’s hair to comfort him, as he had sometimes seen Lister do. Eventually, Rimmer’s crying subsided into sniffling with an occasional hiccuping sob. Still, Cat held him, rather enjoying the unusual closeness. 

Finally, Rimmer pulled away and slowly sat up, wiping his eyes. Feeling oddly shy, he stammered, “Cat, uh, I want to - I mean, I’d like to - um, let me say - oh, smeg.” Resting his hand on Cat’s shoulder, he whispered, “Thank you.”

Cat patted Rimmer’s hand as he offered him a silk handkerchief. “Don’t mention it, Bud.”

“Why did you do that?”

“What?”

“You know... why did you, um, hug me?”

“I’m a cat. I know when my monkeys need me.” Cat slipped a nail file out of his sleeve and began manicuring his claws. 

“But, you don’t like me,” Rimmer protested weakly.

“I never said that.”

“Not recently, no.”

Cat thought for a minute. “Look, Goalpost Head - I may not like you sometimes, or most of the time, but I do love you. Like Gerbil Cheeks says, we’re family, and we’re all we have out here in the big black.” Cat stood, bent down, and licked Rimmer’s H. As the hologram stared at him in surprise, he purred, “Cats don’t lick just anyone like stupid dogs do. You’re welcome.”

Touching his H in wonder, Rimmer watched as Cat turned to leave. 

“Oh, and, Bud?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t mention any of this to Hamster Face, or I’ll pee on your pillow.”


End file.
